African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT) Team Pay a Working Visit to KEEP to Strengthen Collaboration

Group photograph of ACEIoT team with KEEP and RAIL team

Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura, Principal Investigator, Mrs. Beline Mukarwego, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Mrs. Butoyi Husna, Industry Liaison Officer from the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT), University of Rwanda, paid a working visit to the KNUST Engineering Education Project (KEEP) from 8th to 10th January 2024.

The team paid a courtesy call to the Provost of the College of Engineering, KNUST, Prof. Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko. Their visit was based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KEEP and ACEIoT for collaborative digital development and energy activities. Collaborative activities include joint research seminars, grant applications, student and faculty exchange programs, and research projects. The ACEIoT team’s working visit sought to deepen collaboration between both centres.

Prof. Nyarko mentioned that the relationship between both centres generates new knowledge to address problems faced by Ghana and Rwanda and positively impact the sub-region. “These collaborative projects offer opportunities for digital innovation and long-term interactions with industry and academia”.

Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura disclosed that through the collaboration, an IoT and AI Applied Research Results Commercialization and Incubation Hub project was won in 2023. He mentioned the weekly ACEIoT and KEEP seminars, where students present their research work for peer and faculty review and knowledge sharing. “We hope to continue the collaborative activities and explore other opportunities”.

Led by Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, KEEP Project Lead, a presentation on KEEP was made to the ACEIoT team. Prof. Kponyo touched on the vision and mission of the project, student enrollment, the research labs and facilities, and the industry collaborations and partnerships made by the project. He indicated that the Endowment Fund and the strong connection with alumni and industry are sustainability measures adopted by the project that ACEIoT can learn from.

As the Principal Investigator of the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Lab (RAIL), Prof. Kponyo presented on RAIL and said the lab produces responsible AI solutions for the benefit of society. “The lab’s framework of success is Research and Development, Capacity Building, Innovation and Commercialisation”.  

Researchers in the lab unveiled the various innovative projects being worked on: the Plant Disease Detector, an AI-powered wheelchair and an assistive device for the visually impaired.

The team toured RAIL, Renewable Energy and Power System laboratories, and the KEEP Building facilities.

They visited the College of Engineering Innovation Center and were introduced to the Primo Project, Farmercy Technologies and the Innovation Centre’s Makerspace. The team also visited the IoT, Blockchain, Cybersecurity and the Cadence laboratories.

Both teams resolved to strengthen the collaborative activities and build the working relationship between both centres.